Ready, Steady, Go – a Community Engagement Programme

Impact worked in partnership with IBLF and UNDP to design and launch a programme that can be easily replicated around the world.

Objective

In Croatia, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the support of the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), is committed to working with the private sector to catalyse thinking on the role of business in the country’s sustainable development.

Solution

Impact were invited to partner with IBLF and UNDP Croatia to help equip companies with the practical ‘know how’ and personal drive to stimulate employee and community action in their businesses.

Following a series of theory-based workshops, the group from leading Croatian businesses, were tasked with planning and implementing an innovative and engaging experience to support two community projects in Zagreb. They designed and delivered a communications and employability session for a group of long-term unemployed, and participated in a live consultancy assignment for a women’s business start-up programme.

By going into the community, participants experienced first-hand the benefits that can be gained from successful cross-sector partnerships. For many participants it was the first time that they had engaged in a community project.

Result

The programme’s significant outcomes were four-fold;
•    Greater understanding of the elements involved with developing employee community engagement
•    Familiarity with good practice models
•    Better understanding of how to work with community partners
•    A personalised action plan for developing employee community engagement.

"In addition to the proven benefits of employee engagement in managing human resources, improving the reputation of a company and opening channels of communication with important stakeholders, employee engagement represents one of the best ways that the private sector can cooperate with other sectors to address development challenges."
Heidi Eterović
Project Manager
UNDP Croatia

"I'd never done anything like this before. I didn't think it would be feasible to plan and implement a community project in such a short time, but the combination of skills and knowledge and expertise that we brought together from our different backgrounds made it possible. I really enjoyed the experience, would definitely recommend it to others…"
Ready, Steady, Go participant